Ponting, Khawaja shore up Australian innings
Ricky Ponting and Usman Khawaja steadied Australia's first innings after the loss of both openers during the second day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand at the Gabba today.
At tea, the Australians were 91 for two, with Khawaja not out 38 and Ponting, fighting to keep his Test place, on 34 in reply to the Black Caps' 295.
Former skipper Ponting had some early luck before he had scored when he narrowly avoided being run out by Brendon McCullum's throw at the non-striker's end.
But he unfurled some of his classic drives and pulls among his six boundaries to look in ominous scoring touch with 24-year-old Khawaja moving along nicely.
Opener Phil Hughes was out for 10 to a great diving catch by Martin Guptill in the gully off Chris Martin in the seventh over.
Both Australian openers were out for just 25 runs in a sign of continuing fragility at the top of the Australian order.
David Warner's Test debut lasted just three balls before he was out for three in the over before lunch.
Warner and Hughes had just two overs to negotiate up to lunch after the Black Caps were dismissed and Kiwi skipper Ross Taylor surprised by throwing the new ball to spinner Daniel Vettori to open the bowling.
Warner hit a streaky three off Vettori's bowling, but on the first delivery of paceman Tim Southee's next over, the Twenty20 specialist failed to get out of the way from a superb lifting delivery and was caught off the gloves by wicketkeeper Reece Young. It gave New Zealand a huge confidence lift after they had added 121 runs for their last five wickets with Dean Brownlie, dropped twice when he was on three, remaining unbeaten on 77.
Vettori was in sight of his first Test century against Australia when he inexplicably set off for a quick run to mid-off only for Mike Hussey to run him out with a direct throw at the bowler's end.
Vettori, who came to the crease with the Black Caps tottering at 96 for five just after lunch yesterday, lay prone in disappointment as he sprawled to make his ground and was out for 96 in just over three hours with 10 boundaries.
He put on a Gabba record sixth-wicket stand for New Zealand of 158 with Brownlie, eclipsing the previous best of 95 between Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns at the ground in 2001.
Young was out for two in the next over by Peter Siddle, edging to Michael Clarke at first slip, who this time comfortably accepted the chance after botching a similar effort when Brownlie was on three yesterday.
Doug Bracewell laboured for 18 balls without a run before he played against Nathan Lyon's spin and edged to Clarke at slip.
Lyon wrapped up the New Zealand innings with the wickets of Tim Southee for 17 and Chris Martin for one to finish with four for 69 off 21.5 overs.
Australian-born Brownlie batted for 249 minutes and faced 175 balls for his 77.
Scoreboard at tea on the second day of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand at the Gabba today.
Score Board
NEW ZEALAND (I Innings, O/n: 176/5):
McCullum c Warner b Starc 34
Guptill c Haddin b Siddle 13
Williamson c Khawaja b Lyon 19
Taylor b Pattinson 14
Ryder c Warner b Starc 6
Brownlie (not out) 77
Vettori (run out) 96
Young c Clarke b Siddle 2
Bracewell c Clarke b Lyon 0
Southee c Hussey b Lyon 17
Martin b Lyon 1
Extras (B-9, LB-1, W-3, NB-3) 16
Total (all out, 82.5 overs) 295
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-56, 3-78, 4-93, 5-96, 6-254, 7-256, 8-259, 9-290.
Bowling: Pattinson 15-1-64-1, Siddle 24-8-57-2, Starc 20-1-90-2, Lyon 21.5-1-69-4, Hussey 2-0-5-0.
AUSTRALIA (I Innings):
Warner c Young b Southee 3
Hughes c Guptill b Martin 10
Khawaja (run out) 38
Ponting (batting) 67
Clarke (batting) 28
Extras (LB-1, W-1, NB-6) 8
Total (for 3 wkts, 46 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-25, 3-91.
Bowling: Vettori 9-2-23-0, Southee 12-5-31-1, Martin 12-2-38-1, Bracewell 10-2-50-0, Guptill 1-0-6-0, Brownlie 2-0-5-0.
